


Llama, Cheescake, Duck (Llama Saga #9)

by laylee



Series: Llama Saga [9]
Category: Sports Night
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-02
Updated: 2010-01-02
Packaged: 2017-10-05 15:33:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laylee/pseuds/laylee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"So what you're saying is that I should accept that's it's happened, quit throwing llamas around, eat my cheesecake and write my script? Is that what you're saying, Casey?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Llama, Cheescake, Duck (Llama Saga #9)

"Danny…"

"No."

"Danny, somebody has to."

"Then why does it have to be me?"

"Because Dana wanted you to."

"Then Dana can kiss my…"

"Danny!"

Casey glared at his partner as Dan slumped back in his chair, hugging Ceazar to his chest. "Dan, who else knows hockey as well as you do?"

"Jerome."

"Aside from the number two camera guy?"

"Elliot."

"Aside from Elliot?"

"Well, Dave's got…"

"Someone who writes for this show on a regular basis!"

Dan offered Casey a withering look, but finally shut up.

"Danny, no one hates this more than I do," Casey continued softly. "But the fact of the matter is, the lockout is news and we are, above all else, a news show. We report the news as and when it happens, and we don't have the luxury of choosing not report on something just because we don't like or agree with it."

"Okay, I can't argue with that," Dan said, "but what I don't get, Casey, is why I have to be the one to report it? Why do I have to be the one to go onto national television and tell the whole world that there'll be no hockey this year because of a labour dispute? Why do I have to be that guy?"

Casey sighed. "Because that's what Dana wants you to do."

"I hate being that guy, Casey," Dan said, holding Ceazar even closer.

"I know you do, Danny."

"And you realise that it's just the thin edge of the wedge. After last year's ratings, both ESPN and CSC are talking about long-term replacements. God knows what NBC will do with their two-year option, and none of them will guarantee that they'll resume full coverage if the season does get a reprieve. How's it supposed to survive if the major networks won't even broadcast the games?" Dan let out a long, defeated breath and dropped his head. "When did the money become more important than the sport? That's all I want to know."

"It's been like that for a long time, Danny," Casey replied somberly. "And not just in hockey. Everywhere it's all about the sponsorship deals and the salary packages and the broadcast rights. None of it is as important as what goes on out on the field, but it's the thing that makes the news, like it or not. It's like no one goes into sports because they love the game, anymore. They do it because they want a better dental package or have a hankering to expound the virtues of foot powder."

"And that it sucks, Casey," Dan exclaimed, leaping to his feet. He tossed the llama at his partner. "It sucks so bad I don't want talk about it anymore."

"Danny!" Casey called out, fumbling with Ceazar as Dan stormed out of the office.

Still clutching the llama, Casey went after him, but was hampered by Jeremy suddenly blocking the doorway.

"Should I ask?" Jeremy asked, as they both stared after Dan's hastily retreating back.

"Hockey," Casey said, like that one word explained everything.

"Ah." Jeremy nodded sagely and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Touchy subject."

"Especially for Dan," Casey said. "I feel like strangling Dana for making him do the piece."

"Only you won't."

"No, probably not."

"Because no one else knows how things really work around here."

"Yeah."

"And besides, Natalie would kill you if anything happened to Dana."

"That to." Casey squeezed the llama, and was only mildly surprised when it emitted a low 'baa'. "I have to go get Dan."

Jeremy clapped up on the shoulder. "Good luck."

Ceazar 'baaed' again.

~*~*~

In the end it wasn't too hard to find Dan. There were only a limited number of places where he'd go to hide when he didn't really want to hide, but just needed some time-out. And while the duck pond in Central Park was a little far-flung from the office, the fact that he chose that particular spot to brood in told Casey that, although he was fairly pissed-off, Dan wasn't as mad as he'd like people to believe.

Dan didn't look at Casey as he sat down next to him on the bench, clutching the paper bag he'd brought with him in both hands. Down near the water's edge, a group of children ran about, feeding the ducks and dodging the concerned care of their parents. Both men just sat and watched them for a while, their ears filled with lively shouting and the occasional high-pitched squeal.

Casey couldn't help but notice that Dan was shivering slightly and if they hadn't been in such a public place he would have put his arm around his shoulders to warm him. Then again, what did Dan expect when he stormed out of the office in the middle of February without a coat?

After a few minutes of sitting there without talking, Casey held up the paper bag and said, "I brought cheesecake."

Dan burst out laughing, throwing his head back and cackling so hard that tears started to leak from the corner of his eyes.

"Ah, Casey," Dan wheezed. "Casey, Casey, Casey. Cheesecake?"

"It seemed like the thing to bring."

"When you went searching for me in the cold."

"When I went searching for you in the cold. Only to find you sitting by a duck pond in the middle of February without a coat. And after, I might add, an extraordinary display of churlishness."

"I was not being churlish," Dan countered. "Disgruntled, maybe, but certainly not churlish."

"You threw your llama at me and left without your coat." Casey pointed out.

"I was disgruntled," Dan insisted. "There was no churlishness involved, Casey."

"'Potato, potahto…'"

"Hmmm." Dan looked at him sideways then focused his attention on the paper bag. "You went to the deli on the corner?"

"I didn't have time to go to Brooklyn, so yeah, I went to the deli on the corner."

Dan looked at the bag some more, blinking slowly. "You think that cheesecake can make up for the fact that the world as we know it is about the end because there will be no hockey this season?"

"Well, no," Casey admitted. "Because it's happened, Danny, and no amount of cheesecake or disgruntled tossing of llamas is going to make it un-happen."

"So what you're saying is that I should accept that's it's happened, quit throwing llamas around, eat my cheesecake and write my script? Is that what you're saying, Casey?"

"That's pretty much it."

"It sucks, Casey."

"I know."

"It sucks hard."

"So you keep saying."

"But there's nothing I can do about it, right?"

"Not a damn thing."

"So I should just suck it up and deal with it?"

"Yeah."

Dan snorted and took the bag out of Casey's hand. "Okay."

Casey got to his feet. "I knew you'd come around eventually." He offered Dan his hand to pull him to his feet, and kept holding on got once Dan stood up.

"No one's expecting you to fix all the world's wrongs, Danny." Casey said softly, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze. "And you need to stop thinking that you can, because it's not good for you."

Dan dropped his eyes and pulled his hand out of Casey's, but stayed well within his personal space.

"I'm not trying to, Casey," he said after a while. "But its hard not to sit back and watch the guys in suits fuck around with the things I love."

If Casey he could have, he would have kissed Danny there and then. Instead he had to settle for a warm smile as he said, "I know."

"But guess what?" Dan added a little more brightly as he took as step back and began to walk down the path.

"What?" Casey asked, falling into step beside him.

"There's this sports show that I know of that might have something to say about this."

Casey cocked an inquisitive eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Dan offered him a slightly feral grin. "Oh yeah. It might even be able to exert some influence over the people who make the decisions."

Casey stuck his hands in his coat pockets and bumped his shoulder into Dan's. "Well, you never know your luck in the big city."

Dan grinned a bit more and sped up his pace toward the office.

"Hey, Casey?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I borrow your coat?"

"No."

 

FIN


End file.
